Political notebook: Mike Carter's appointment stirs speculation

House Speaker Beth Harwell's recent appointment of Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, to replace Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, on the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations is stirring up speculation in some quarters.

Harwell, a Republican, had named Hill to TACIR in April. But with the state and local policy group studying annexation issues, prompted by Carter's legislation, the local lawmaker was put on the panel and was arguing his points at TACIR's meeting last month.

Harwell spokeswoman Kara Owen said Friday that Carter's presence had nothing to do with Hill's committee vote last session to kill a wine-in-grocery stores bill backed by Harwell.

"Mike was put on there because of the annexation issue," Owen said. "That was why the swap was made with the intent of putting [Carter] there until completion of the annexation study."

GOP fundraiser

Tennessee Republicans say they raised $470,000 at the state GOP's Statesmen's Dinner on Friday night.

Michael Sullivan, GOP deputy executive director, said over thousand or so people RSVP'd for the event.

The amount raised was "great" for a nonelection year, Sullivan said.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., was the keynote speaker. Also speaking were Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.